We checked out Modica for our last big sightseeing day in Sicily! We started out by getting the best croissants of the trip at Caffe del Corso and then we drove to a vista at Belvedere di San Benedetto for a breathtaking view overlooking Modica. As a mother, I spent half the time at the overlooking applying sunscreen to the kids, but we all still had time afterwards to take in the scenery and marvel at the architecture of the houses on such hilly terrain.
Then we parked downtown and waited for the Trenino Barocco which is a train ride tour of the city. It was quite touristy, but all 4 of us thoroughly enjoyed the 30 min ride and appreciated the Italian music they played and facts about Modica as we traveled through the extremely steep and windy roads of an ancient Sicilian city. The most famous site we saw was the Catholic cathedral, Duomo di San Giorgio. We also loved seeing all the quintessential streets, complete with laundry hanging off balconies to dry.
The rest of my family joined us in Modica around midday and we met at a cafe right across the street from the Duomo di San Giorgio and then did a tour of Antica Dolceria Bonajuto, the oldest chocolate factory in Sicily with a small store and chocolate samples.
The most interesting and surprisingly delicious treat that they served during the tour were Mpanatigghi Biscuits were is a pastry that is filled with finely ground beef and chocolate. The sugar was used to preserve the meat for long periods of time or for travel in the days before refrigeration. Brooke of course loved sampling all of the chocolates and Beckett was going especially wild for a taste of the liquid chocolate!
We spent the evening in Scoglitti to meet up with my extended family again. They had an entire spread prepared for us and we got more gifts from my generous Sicilian relatives. This was the last time we would see them on the trip, so it was sad to say goodbye! I can’t thank them enough for welcoming us with open arms and huge hearts. They outdid themselves with their hospitality and kindness.
Despite wanting to stay longer, Jay and I drove back to get the kids fed and to bed as early as possible since tomorrow would be our big travel day back to the US. But, after packing up, we did stay up late reminiscing about memorable Sicilian phrases that my mother and family would use when I was growing up and during the holidays when we were all together. My Auntie Marlene made up the list and even though she wasn’t on the trip with us, she knew we would get a good laugh reading through it, especially of the more explicit words and phrases that Grammy helped us pronounce. We were in the room next door to where Brooke was sleeping and we woke her up twice – whoops! And I started to panic when packing up and couldn’t find our family’s passports because Jay moved them without telling me! In the end, we got everything packed and ready for tomorrow.